Lantern tour, archaeology dig planned in Beverly

October 7, 2013

As October gets underway, the Beverly Heritage Center will be hosting two events, including a lantern tour of historic Beverly's darker side and an archaeology dig to celebrate West Virginia Archaeology Month.

For the Lantern Tour, Beverly resident Karl Mulac and other docents in period costume will lead you along Beverly's streets, sharing history and local traditions related to some of the historic buildings.

"The stories on the Lantern Tour will be drawn both from known history, and from some unexplained things that go bump in the night," explained tour guide Karl Mulac. "We will respectfully share the stories of Beverly's past, while exploring some family stories, folklore, and mysterious experiences from the community."

There are two opportunities to participate in the Lantern Tour: Saturday, Oct. 12, and Saturday, Oct. 26, at 7:30 p.m. The tour will begin and end at the Beverly Heritage Center and will last approximately an hour and a half. Tickets will be $10 for adults, and $5 for Beverly Heritage Center members and children under 12. Participants are encouraged to dress for the chill of the evening and to bring your own flashlight.

On Oct. 12-13, the public is welcomed to come see archaeology in action at an archaeological dig at the Collett House. The dig will take place at 10 a.m. behind the Collett House, located on Collett Street, next to the Beverly Presbyterian Church.

This is an outdoor activity and weather dependent.

This event is an educational dig, approved by the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office, in which archaeologists hope to find diagnostic artifacts relating to life in Beverly, indications of the different uses the Collett House has had, and, in general, perhaps a time line for history in small, rural towns in West Virginia. The public is invited to watch archaeology in progress and ask questions of the archaeologists, as well as community members and historians.

The dig will take place in back of the Collett House and will be led by Alison Thornton, an archaeologist and AFHA AmeriCorps member at the Beverly Heritage Center.

"Public archaeology is one way to get people interested in history," Thornton said. "I hope that this dig will excite community members, and spread the word about how fascinating Beverly's history is."